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Thursday, November 19, 2009

blueberry pie

Continuing the blue theme...

I finished this quilt on January 2nd of this year, so I can't cross it off my current WIP list. I haven't blogged about it until now because I was thinking of using it for a quilt in a bag pattern (much like this set). But that idea has come and gone. This quilt was donated to Margaret's Hope Chest, which surpassed their goal of collecting 400 quilts for homeless kids, by the way. Woo-hoo!

It measures 64" square.

I stippled it and bound it in a blue stripe. The back (which I didn't get a decent photo of) is a light blue dot.

I like this quilt, but it is a good example of why I prefer scrappy quilts. They are so much more interesting.

On another note, I made my own spray starch this morning. The idea came from Tara. I did a google search and found a few different variations of the recipe and made up my own proportions.

I used 12 oz water, 3/4 tablespoon cornstarch and 3 drops lavender essential oil. Mix well in a measuring cup and pour into a spray bottle.

There were recipes that called for cooking it, but I chose this method because it was quicker. The corn starch will settle, so you will need to shake it before using it. It smells wonderful and it works really well. There was no flaking whatsoever. I bought the 12 oz spray bottle at Target, because a cute new bottle was a must.

I like the quilt too, but I don't know if you can blame its non-scrappy-ness for making it uninteresting. The Raspberry Lemonade quilt is the same pattern and I think it is more interesting. :) I think because there is more color variety.

LOVE that blue quilt! I feel the same way you do about scrap quilts though -- I like them much better than the well-planned coordinated quilts. THANKS for the starch recipe -- I'd love to try it -- I get really tired of the flakies!

I have been waiting for you to blog about this quilt=) (I saw the name on your sidebar.) I absolutely LOVE it!!! I think it is every bit as interesting as a scrappy quilt, just in a different way. I love blue! LOVE IT!!!

You need to be careful using cornstarch as it attracts silverfish bugs. You can buy liquid starch in gallon & half gallon containers and then mix them with water depending on how much "stiffness" you need. I usually go 3:1 for general use and a little less water for stretchy fabrics like flannel.

Thanks for the homeade starch idea. That is great! Also, I noticed you purchased a new blue bottle. Is that because you like blue so much, or did you want it to match your iron and the rest of your home :)

OOOh, starch spray. Why did we not all think of this? hmm.... The blue is pretty and it made to think about stipe fabric and would I run the stripe up and down or across... I like them up and down like you did it but the paralyze me so I just stick to using them as binding.

With the starch mix...I've heard that if you use essential oil, you need to use some alcohol to emulsify the oil or you'll end up with oil drops on your fabric/clothing. I add 2oz of cheap vodka to my starch mix.

you read my mind, I was just about to look up a spray starch recipe, and i came to your blog and there it was! thanks! ;-)Hey, girlie, you know those bits you put on the back, like the last blue one you did... it would look super dooper for an entire quilt! go for it!

I really love your blue quilt! It turned out so cute! Thanks for the starch recipe...I never even though of making my own. I have been using "Best Pressed" and love that it doesn't flake, but it is expensive. I'll have to give yours a try!

You always have the cutest happiest names for your quilts. It's like opening up a box of crayons.This is gorgeous, but your little triangles on mostly white, was about the cutest little quilt I've ever seen. I agree that too much pattern sometimes ruins a quilt.

Thanks for the starch recipe. I need it so rarely that I normally just go without because I can't make myself buy a can at the store. Water and corn starch (and a variety of essential oils) are always readily available in our house though, so I'll have to give it a try!

Thank you for sharing the recipe for spray starch. I like not using aerosal sprays and love to pinch pennies with my husband out of work! I've got to find some essential oil and I'll be on my way. Thank you!

I was WONDERING about your Blueberry Pie quilt! It was listed as one of your completed projects for 2009, yet you'd never blogged about it. Thanks for sharing! (Looking forward to hearing about Lazy Summer Days and The Tide is High, as well!) BTW I generally don't like blue, but I do like this quilt. Well done, as always!

I love the simplicity of your new blueberry pie quilt, and it looks simple enough for even a new sewer/quilter like me to attempt! (I'm going to rely on the magic of pre-cut fabric strips in a jelly roll -- I'm still not very good at accurate rotary cutting.)

Hi thereI love your little blog and was very interested in your starch recipe. I am new to this quilting business and I was hoping to make a quilt effect cushion, however, the fabric I have for it is quite flimsy and I was wondering if this starch recipe would help to stiffen it up a bit?ThanksSuzanne

if you are making a cushion, the starch won't help your somewhat flimsy fabric. I'd recommend finding a thicker fabric right off the bat. (or you will have to rework it. I've tried it before.) hope that helps!

Thank you so much for the starch recipe...I just made some and it worked a treat...I do need a better spary gun however :) I found some corn cornflour - and used that...as we dont have corn starch here and the usual thing that we have is corn flour which is made with wheat :(YOur blue quilt is realloy lovely too :)

Hi, I just found your post by following pinterest. One of my relatives was following you too. I love making home made starch and have been using it for years. I do mine a bit different. I buy the half gallon container of liquid starch in the grocery store, cheap. Then following the directions on the bottle for strength found out it works better than the can(s) of starch I had been using for years. I use any left over spray bottle but found I like a fancy bottle best. You have a great site and I will follow you. Thanks. Char